Putting the ‘C’ Back Into the CBC

Today’s National Post article on the CBC raises some interesting questions that all Canadians should be asking and attempting to answer. In this digital age of information glut, what is the role of our venerated and simultaneously derided public broadcaster?

I for one would support a radical overhaul of the CBC. If the mandate of a public channel is to broadcast Canadian culture, the current lineup of American movies and syndicated TV shows is a poor way to go about it. The People’s Network costs each and every Canadian approximately $33.33 per year. This may be a small price to pay for Canadian content but this money could be better spent than by buying NBC, ABC, or CBS’s used programming. Putting Canadian tax revenues into American bank accounts strikes me as an intuitively flawed strategy vis-à-vis promulgating Canadian culture.

The current crop of American content should be scrapped in favour of Canadian movies, music videos and short films. I’m sure there are lots of Canadian artists that would give the network broadcast rights for the mere opportunity to showcase their wares.

Judging by the bidding war expected to surface for Hockey Night In Canada, the CBC should focus on grassroots level sports not given adequate coverage in other media. This could include university-level hockey, football, volleyball, etc. Local channels could broadcast high school sports championships. I am always amazed at how vociferously the Americans support their grassroots-level athletes as compared to their Canadian counterparts. One need only look at the attendance of a Notre Dame vs. University of Manitoba football game - population disparities alone do not explain the attendance differentials.

News reporting is the cornerstone of the CBC. I would accordingly adopt a zero tolerance policy on the antics of such ‘reporters’ as Christina Lawand. Although some bias may be the inevitable consequence of human involvement in the journalistic field, every attempt should be made to be as politically impartial as possible. Whatever Rick Mercer’s leanings may be, he is always adept at blasting all parties of all political stripes. The National would be well advised to learn from his talent.

Funding for the CBC should be split between government funding and pledge drives. The latter would make the network accountable to viewers for the quality of their programming.

When I look back on the decades of memories provided to me via the CBC, it is the shows like Mr. Dressup, Wayne & Shuster, Hockey Night In Canada, This Hour Has 22 Minutes (during their Mercer heyday), Just for Laughs and Kids in the Hall that come to mind. Let’s not make Hollywood movies and American reruns our cultural gift to our children in helping them to assert their Canadian identities…



Motivational Tunes:
KMFDM – Megalomaniac
The Panic Channel – Teahouse of the Spirits
Sloan – Money City Maniacs